Ethically Kate: Are solid shampoo and deodorant bars effective?

Solid shampoo bars can equate to about three bottles of liquid shampoo. Photo/Getty

Q: I would like to be more sustainable with health and beauty products but I get put off by the expense of some brands and wonder if things like deodorant bars are effective. Do you have any advice?

A: In 2017 I picked up a shampoo bar for the first time with a curious and doubtful look. I had long hair that fell way past my armpits and wasn't prepared to compromise on my hair health for the sake of the planet. Five years later I haven't bought a bottle of shampoo since and if you were to look around my bathroom you'd notice mainly colourful solid bars that consist of my face wash, makeup remover, moisturiser, body wash, and yes, my deodorant.

I tried more than 10 deodorants at the start of my sustainable bathroom mission and many of them destroyed my clothing, made me smell even worse, or gave my poor armpits a rash. I persisted and found the right one for me (Ethique's Rustic Deodorant). My sweaty husband uses the same deodorant and we have yet to have a smell complaint!

When it comes to all health and beauty products, my advice is to shop around, consider cost per use instead of cost up front, and replace your beauty products only as they run out.

Not all products work the same on every person's body. That's why sustainable companies often have samples before you invest in a full product. Talk to the company. Send them a social media message or email if it's not clear if the product will work for your skin or body type.

Consider cost per use: Yes, there are some ridiculously expensive "sustainable" beauty products out there, but sometimes the truly sustainable products can cost less money. Take beauty bars for example. Beauty bars are a solid version of a usually liquid product. They typically come in home compostable paper boxes, don't contain water (up to 90 per cent of a shampoo bottle can be water), and are made from sustainable ingredients.

I understand the cost of a beauty bar can scare people away, but that's because the product is relatively new and misunderstood. For example, my shampoo bar is the equivalent of three shampoo bottles. It can last 80+ washes. That's approximately $0.28 per wash - only 0.5 cents more than a product comparison I picked at random from the supermarket.

Slowly replace your products. Just in case you're about to throw away all your health and beauty products and switch to sustainable versions… don't. Use up what you have (unless it's causing your body harm) and switch your products only as they run out. This will save money plus ensure you can properly research each product to find one with less packaging, healthier ingredients, ethical brand values, and fair treatment throughout the product supply chain.

Before you buy anything using my advice above, I encourage you to first ask yourself: Do I need this product? You could save money by decluttering your beauty regime. Could I make this product? I have friends who make their dry shampoo from cocoa powder!